Persuasion: The Ability to See, Create, Present, and Deliver Solutions

Persuasion begins with the ability to see solutions for the buyer. Whether you are offering a service or a product, your success will depend on solving problems. How do successful companies see, create, present, and deliver solutions? ~ www.jaywren.com

Step 1. Products and Services

When I worked at Polaroid, my orientation included a history of the company. Edwin Land (Dr. Land) got the idea for the instant camera from his daughter.

While on vacation in Santa Fe, New Mexico, Dr. Land’s 3-year-old daughter asked why she could not see the pictures as he took them.

The idea led to Dr. Land envisioning a camera that contained a photo finishing system.

The camera satisfied the needs, wants, or fancies of people who wanted to record instant images.

Step 2. Awareness and Demand

Persuasion needs awareness and demand. For manufacturers of consumer products, the persuasion happens at two levels.

Here’s how it works.

The Push. Edwin Land hired a sales team to sell the cameras into retail stores. He sent product demonstrators into the stores to train clerks and consumers on how the camera worked and how it solved problems for them.

At this level, the manufacturer sells or “pushes” the product into the stores and onto the retailers’ shelves.

The Pull. Next, Dr. Land hired marketers. With print and television advertising, the Polaroid marketing teams created consumer awareness and consumer demand. From what consumers saw in the media, they wanted Polaroid cameras before they went to a store.

The marketing-driven consumer demand pulled the products through the retailers and into the hands of the consumer.

Persuasion

In closing, most people have a sense of what they want. If they are sales people, they want to sell their product. However, for sales to be successful, companies and their sales and marketing teams must see and present what theirconsumers want.